American Civil War | History, Summary, Dates, Causes

The American Civil War began in 1861 due to tensions over slavery, states’ rights, and expansion. Seven southern states split to form the Confederate States of America after Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, and four additional states later joined them. With the Confederate surrender in 1865, the conflict, also known as the War Between the States, came to an end. At 620,000 dead and many more injured, it was the bloodiest war to ever take place on American soil. There was serious damage to the South.

History of the American Civil War

The following is the history of the American Civil War:

• Two main periods: Gradual buildup of social, economic, and political challenges; and a critical five-month span after Abraham Lincoln’s 1860 presidency leading to Fort Sumter’s capture in April 1861.
• Debate Over Slavery: A major issue was the slavery debate, focusing on its expansion or containment and eventual abolition. Slavery’s role in early America caused tension between Southern slave states and Northern free states, becoming a key cause of the war.
• Election of Abraham Lincoln: The 1850s, marked by the election of anti-slavery President Abraham Lincoln, triggered the first wave of state secession. Leaders in the Deep South felt their way of life was threatened, leading to the initial secession of seven states.
• Attack on Fort Sumter: The attack on Fort Sumter prompted President Lincoln to call for volunteers. This led four more states in the Upper South, including Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas, to join the Confederacy by July 1861.
• Prolonged Conflict: The contributions of states in the Upper South ensured a prolonged and intense conflict during the Civil War. The war’s causes were deeply rooted in the debate over slavery, regional tensions, and the political climate of the time.

When did the Civil War Start and End?

A crucial chapter in American history, the American Civil War took place over the course of five turbulent years. The Confederate assault on Fort Sumter in April 1861 marked the beginning of it, setting off a string of momentous conflicts and occasions that would ultimately determine the fate of the country. The crucial Battle of Gettysburg, the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, and Union General Sherman’s conquest of Atlanta in 1864—which cut off the Union’s essential supply lines—were among the significant turning points. On April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee submitted at Appomattox Court House, marking the beginning of the end of the war and its turning point. The conflict came to an end with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in April 1865 and the Confederate leaders’ surrenders. The military conflict came to an official end with the last battle at Palmito Ranch in Texas and Confederate leader Edmond Kirby Smith’s final surrender in May 1865. The difficult Reconstruction era began with President Andrew Johnson’s proclamation in August 1866, which officially declared the end of the Civil War.

Dates of the American Civil War

A tabular style has been used to demonstrate the American Civil War timeline for easier comprehension:

Dates	Particulars	Details
6 November, 1860	Abraham Lincoln was elected President	Abraham Lincoln, a candidate for the Republican Party, was elected as the 16th President of the United States. Despite not receiving a single vote from the South, he wins the presidency.
20 December, 1860	South Carolina secedes	One of the wealthiest states in the union, South Carolina, is the first to declare its independence just after Lincoln’s election. South Carolina’s secession signaled the North American states’ animosity toward slavery.
January- Febuary, 1861	Extension of secession and the formation of the Confederacy	In 1861, the states of Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas all vowed to secede. These states united to form the Confederate States, chose Jefferson Davis to lead them, and penned a constitution that was modeled after the US one. Nevertheless, they made no provisions for the outlawing of slavery.
4 March, 1861	Lincoln’s first inaugural address	While acknowledging that “passions may have strained,” Lincoln urges peace with the seceding states, saying that the North and South “must not be enemies” but rather friends.
12 April, 1861	Fort Sumter	Off the coast of South Carolina, at Fort Sumter, a stronghold that had been taken by Kentucky Unionists, occurs the first gunfight of the Civil War. Lincoln informed the Secessionists of his plans in response to public pressure. That’s when Jefferson Davis decided to start shooting at the unarmed boat.
15 April, 1861	Lincoln summons the troops	In an effort to save the Union, Lincoln asks the Northern states to provide a 75,000-strong militia that would be ready to go into action in three months. Lincoln claimed that the problem had grown “too powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings” in order to defend his use of force.
17 April- 21 May, 1861	Border states secede	Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina were forced to support the Confederacy due to the hostilities at Fort Sumter. Jefferson Davis battled to keep society together as the Confederacy grew, and its adherents broke away to defend their own liberties.
21 July, 1861	The First Battle of Bull Run	The Civil War’s first significant engagement took place in Virginia when an ill-prepared Union army was forced into combat by popular and political pressure. The Union troops quickly withdrew to Washington, D.C. as Confederate reinforcements arrived, giving the Confederate army the upper hand.
8 November, 1861	The Trent Affair	Though there are differences in British public opinion toward the Civil War, the country was eager to reclaim its dominance in the New World and had close commercial ties to the United States of America. A Union naval officer stopped two Confederate commissioners who were trying to convince the British to back the Southern cause. Strong action was taken by Britain, which threatened to enter a war that neither the Union nor Britain desired.
17 July, 1862	Enlisting black soldiers	In response to pressure to “use all the physical force” at their disposal, the Thirty-seventh Congress authorized the enlistment of African Americans in the Union Army. This was a significant change from the practice of rejecting black recruits who were eager to join the Union army.
28-30 August, 1862	Second Battle of Bull Run	The Union army was routed by Generals Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson and Robert E. Lee, forcing them to once more withdraw to Washington, D.C.
17 September, 1862	The Battle of Antietam	Although not very decisive from a military standpoint, the Civil War’s deadliest day is crucial to the Union cause. Both France and Britain withdrew their offer to broker a peace settlement based on Confederate independence. Lincoln issued a preliminary emancipation proclamation on September 22, having been waiting for a favorable opportunity that would have benefited the Union. If the rebelling Confederate states did not rejoin the Union by the new year, he threatened to mandate the eradication of slavery.
1 January, 1863	The Emancipation Proclamation	Approximately three million of the four million slaves in America at the time of the war were inside the states that were rebelling when Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that slaves inside those states were “thenceforward, and forever free.” Only the Confederate states were covered by the Emancipation Proclamation; neither the slave states that remained part of the Union nor the territories governed by the Union Army were.

Causes of the American Civil War

These are the key factors that led to the Civil War in the middle of the 19th century: economic inequality, the emergence of abolitionist movements, legislative choices such as the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the long-lasting effects of the Dred Scott case.

• Economic Differences: In the 1800s, the North focused on industry, while the South relied on large-scale farming, particularly with enslaved Black labor, for crops like cotton and tobacco.
• Abolitionist Movement: Abolitionist sentiments, opposing slavery, grew in the North after the 1830s, causing concern among Southerners about the future of slavery, vital to their economy.
• Kansas-Nebraska Act: In 1854, this act allowed slavery in new territories, intensifying conflicts. “Bleeding Kansas” saw violent clashes between pro- and anti-slavery forces.
• Rise of the Republican Party: Opposition to the spread of slavery into western territories led to the formation of the Republican Party in the North.
• Dred Scott Case: The 1857 Supreme Court ruling affirmed slavery’s legality in territories, deepening tensions.
• John Brown’s Raid: In 1859, abolitionist John Brown’s raid at Harper’s Ferry increased Southern fears of a Northern threat to slavery.
• Election of Abraham Lincoln: His 1860 election fueled Southern concerns, leading seven states to secede within three months—South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas.

Conclusion

The Union won the American Civil War mostly because of their better military tactics, will to keep the nation united, and combination of superior resources. The U.S. Civil War began in 1861 due to tensions over slavery, states’ rights, and expansion. When Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860, seven southern states left and formed the Confederate States of America; later, four more states joined them. The war, also called the War Between the States, concluded in 1865 with the Confederate surrender. It was the deadliest conflict on American soil, with 620,000 soldiers killed and many more injured. The South suffered significant damage.

Questions and Answers on the American Civil War

1. Why did the US Civil War start?

It was the disagreement that started the conflict. The disagreement over whether slavery would be allowed to spread into western regions and give rise to further slave states, or if it would be forbidden to do so, which many felt would eventually lead to the termination of slavery.

2. What are the 3 main causes of the Civil War?

Slavery’s negative effects on society and economy were the main reason behind the Civil War. However, the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, states’ rights vs federal rights, economics, and slavery were the four main causes of the relationship.

3. Who won the American Civil War?

The American Civil War was won by the Union, or the North. The Union prevailed primarily because of its superior industrial, transportation, and human resource capacities, as well as President Abraham Lincoln’s capable leadership.

4. What ended the Civil War?

When Confederate General Robert E. Lee turned over his forces to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia in April 1865, the war was declared officially over. On June 2, Confederate forces on the western edge finally submitted at Galveston, Texas.

5. Did the Civil War end slavery?

The Civil War’s Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment marked significant turning points in the protracted effort to ban legal slavery in the United States.

Reference:

Civil War Glass Negatives [www.loc.gov]

Civil War History.com

Causes Of The Civil War [pbs.org]